Stoya is an American semi-retiredpornographic actress,actress, model, and nonfiction writer.[2] She began her porn career in 2007 in thealt porn scene, and since 2009 has also worked in non-pornographic media, including the 2016 lesbian fantasy seriesDagger Kiss. Since 2019, she has co-written thesex column "How to Do It" forSlate under the bylineJessica Stoya.[3]
Stoya was born to aScottish father and aSerbian mother.[4] She was named Jessica afterJessica Savitch.[5] As a child, she wanted to become a dancer, and started dance lessons at the age of three. She washome-schooled and received her high-school diploma before the age of sixteen.[6] Because her father worked inIT, Stoya had access to electronics and gaming equipment, through which she developed her love of technology.[7] "I was three when I was usingDOS. My mom taught me how to read, and my dad taught me how to navigate DOS."[7]
After moving toPhiladelphia, she attended a summer program atUArts. Some of her jobs in Philadelphia included being a secretary, flier distributor, and ago-go dancer. Stoya appeared in several music videos for bands that, according to her, "no one will ever hear of."[1] In May 2009, Stoya said that she would be moving from Philadelphia and relocating toLos Angeles in the fall of that year.[7]
Stoya began posing for adult pictures for a friend,[5] which eventually led her to modelling and working foralt-erotic websites. She chose herstage name based on a shortened version of her grandmother's Serbian maiden name[6][5] and trademarked the name in 2009.[6]
Stoya was featured in two DVD productions for Razordolls, and she made a non-sex,cameo appearance in twoVivid Alt titles[8] before being contacted byDigital Playground with a proposition to perform in ahardcorelesbian scene with Sophia Santi. The scene in question never happened, but, in August 2007, she met with several Digital Playground representatives and was asked if she would star in apornographic movie with male talent. After careful consideration, Stoya agreed.[1]
In October 2007, Digital Playground signed her to an exclusive, three-year contract.[9] Stoya is regarded as the company's firstalt porn contract girl.[10] The first scene that she shot for them was forStoya Video Nasty (promoted on the DVD box as the first film featuring her engaging in heterosexual intercourse), but her first movie released by the company wasJack's POV 9.[1][8]
Even though Stoya was under exclusive contract with Digital Playground,Evil Angel directorJohn Stagliano received "special permission" in 2013 to cast her in the sequel for the adult film seriesVoracious.[11] As of 2014, she left Digital Playground and focused her career on directing. She financed and directed her first film in February 2014.[12] On March 4, 2014, Stoya andKayden Kross created the pay-per-scene pornographic website TRENCHCOATx. In addition to running the site, Stoya performed in and also directed some of the films.[13] In 2018, Stoya launched the website zerospaces.com with her business partner, comedian Mitcz Marzoni.[14]
In 2009, Stoya appeared in her first non-erotic film project as Kamikazi Shegun 5000 in the award-winning48 Hour Film Project short film "The Kingpin of Pain".[15]
Stoya appears as a main cast member in the 2016 lesbian fantasy seriesDagger Kiss.[16]
In February 2018, Stoya starred in the Serbian sci-fi filmA.I. Rising (also known asEderlezi Rising) in the role of theandroid, Nimani, on a space mission with acosmonaut played by Slovenian actorSebastian Cavazza. The two become romantically entwined when the cosmonaut starts to believe there might be something human inside his android companion.[17]
Stoya has acted in two ofDean Haspiel'sOff Broadway stage plays:Harakiri Kane (Die! Die, Again!) (2017)[18] andThe Last Bar at the End of the World (2018).[19]
In June 2009, she was reported to be datingMarilyn Manson,[34] but they later broke up due to Manson's touring schedule.[35] Afterwards, she dated pornographic actorJames Deen for several years.[36][37] On November 29, 2015, Stoya wrote on Twitter that Deen had raped her:[38]
James Deen held me down and fucked me while I said no, stop, used mysafeword. I just can't nod and smile when people bring him up anymore.[39]
Deen denied the allegations, calling them "false," "egregious," and "defamatory."[40] Following Stoya's statement, eight other women went public with assault allegations against Deen. San Francisco-based Internet pornography studioKink dropped Deen,[41] and the websiteThe Frisky terminated his column.[42]
2015: "Noooooooodie Girl" (pp. 284–286) inComing out like a porn star : essays on pornography, protection, and privacy compiled byJiz Lee. ThreeL Media.ISBN978-0-9905571-6-6.[a]
